EPK – Hopeless Nation – Disaster (2026)
Band: Hopeless Nation
Single Title: Disaster – 4:42
Release Date: February 20, 2026
Label: Provocant Media
Publicist – Jon Asher – jon[@]ashermediarelations[.]com
“We’re thrilled to finally release ‘Disaster’ and the upcoming singles. These songs are a mix of energy, reflection, and raw honesty, and we couldn’t have done it without the incredible people around us. Francis Perron at RadicArt brought his mastery as an engineer, working with someone of his caliber, known for Voïvod, pushed the music to a whole new level. Jonathan Houle and Maxime Dupont’s contributions over the years, on bass, guitar, and rhythm, laid the foundation for everything we do, and these releases are our way of honoring that legacy.” – Hopeless Nation
For fans of Gojira, Darkest Hour, At the Gates, Lamb of God, Zao
Instagram.com/hopelessnation_official | Facebook.com/hopelessnation
Spotify | Hopelessnation.bandcamp.com | Apple Music
“Cette pièce immédiate, dense et agressive frappe dès la première seconde et se démarque par son intensité, ses couches sonores riches et ses refrains plus mélodiques, ouvrant le groupe à un public plus large tout en restant fidèle à son essence.” – Metal Universe (2025 – Silverspoon – Single)
“Hopeless Nation’s Silverspoon is featured on Exclaim!’s Weekly Playlist, highlighting the band among Canada’s notable new releases.” (2025 – Silverspoon – Single)
“I won’t lie to you and say I couldn’t wait to see the return of HOPELESS NATION. Their ten years of absence will have been far too long, having left their mark on the Trois-Rivières hardcore/metal scene from 1998 to 2014. Although many of their fans seemed absent (probably due to age), those from the first hours who were there as well as those who discovered the band for the first time were not disappointed. Fred, the singer, did not lose his enthusiasm at the time and his interaction with the public was impeccable. When we say that music is a story of passion, their performance was proof of that. HOPELESS NATION delivered a performance without artifice, rooted in a hardcore and metal heritage old school too often put aside these days.” – Chicks Rock Media – TROIS-RIVIÈRES METALFEST (2024)
“Invigorated by the arrival of new blood, Hopeless Nation channeled all this newfound energy into Built from Scratch, an album propelled by “the rage to start playing again”, to use the expression used by Maxime. Made with Francis Perron at Studio Radicart, the record marks a new stage in the journey of the group which, with 10 years of career behind its belt, is surely one of the deans of the Trois-Rivières metal scene. ” – Voir (2009)
[Download Single Cover | Download Single Lyrics]
Band: Hopeless Nation
Single Title: Disaster – 4:42
Release Date: February 20, 2026
Label: Provocant Media
Location: Trois-Rivières, Québec, Canada
Genre: Hardcore Groove Metal
Single Credits:
– All songs performed by: Hopeless Nation (Frédéric Marchand – Vocals; Louis-Simon Bellerose – Lead Guitar, Backing Vocals; Guy Provencher – Rhythm Guitar; Karl Héroux Rella – Bass; Steve DC – Drums, Backing Vocals)
– All songs written by: Frederic Marchand (lyrics), Louis-Simon Bellerose, Maxime Dupont, Jonathan Houle, Steve DC (music).
– Produced by: Jonathan Houle, in collaboration with Frederic Bujold and Francis Perron (RadicArt)
– Mixed by: Francis Perron (RadicArt)
– Mastered by: Francis Perron (RadicArt)
– Single Artwork by: Concept by Hopeless Nation/design adaptation by Frederic Marchand, AI artwork
– Canadian Content (MAPL)
Recording Band Line Up:
Frédéric Marchand – Vocals
Louis-Simon Bellerose – Lead Guitar, Backing Vocals
Jonathan Houle, Maxime Dupont – Rhythm Guitar
Jonathan Houle, Karl Héroux Rella – Bass
Steve DC – Drums, Backing Vocals
Live Band Line Up:
Frédéric Marchand – Vocals
Louis-Simon Bellerose – Lead Guitar, Backing Vocals
Guy Provencher – Rhythm Guitar
Karl Héroux Rella – Bass
Steve DC – Drums, Backing Vocals
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About The Single Artwork:
The artwork showcases a hand-painted forest in flames, with birds fleeing the inferno, and a massive wave crashing against the burning coastline.
This striking imagery mirrors the intensity and chaos of the Disaster narrative, highlighting destruction, human vulnerability, and the unstoppable force of nature. It complements the cinematic video, reinforcing themes of resilience, survival, and humanity’s fragile relationship with the planet.
About the Single (LYRICALLY & MUSICALLY):
“Disaster” plunges listeners into chaos and resilience, with lyrics depicting cities in ruin, suffering, and the search for hope. Musically, crushing riffs, relentless rhythms, and raw vocals mirror the tension and urgency of live performance, creating a visceral, socially aware, and intense listening experience.
The Disaster video weaves high-energy live performance with fleeting, chaotic glimpses of a world unraveling. Band members move through the ruins as firefighters, first responders, and civilians, navigating moments of peril and quiet courage. Shadows of destruction and flickers of resilience collide, leaving viewers suspended between tension and reflection, where raw energy meets the fragile pulse of humanity.
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Fun Facts – Story Angles:
1. Reunion & Grind:
After nearly a decade of silence, Hopeless Nation reunited in summer 2024, revisiting unrecorded 2014 material. 2026 will bring a rapid succession of new singles and videos, with live performances expanding the music experience across nations and delivering full-force, raw energy to fans.
2. Live Meets Storytelling:
In the video, the band takes on heroic roles amid chaos, confronting global crises from natural disasters to humanity’s impact on the planet. Live performance from their first comeback show merges with AI-generated visuals, creating a cinematic spectacle that captures raw, unpredictable disaster moments and immerses viewers in tension and survival.
3. Scene Credibility:
The members are deeply rooted in the Quebec hardcore and metal scene. Louis-Simon leads punk hardcore legends Genetic Error, while Steve DC and Guy Provencher represented Canada in Europe after winning the Wacken Battle of the Bands with Strigampire in 2024.
Over 1000 live shows under their belt — all members combined — prove their relentless commitment to the scene.
4. Live Performance Rituals:
Hopeless Nation delivers sweat-soaked, high-octane shows with no backing tracks, pure lamp-amp sound, and full crowd interaction. Their 2025 shows drew strong attention, fueling brighter opportunities and raw-energy performances for an ambitious 2026.
5. Legacy & Homage:
Many of the new singles are a tribute to past members Jonathan Houle (bass & guitar, 2012–2014, 2024) and Maxime Dupont (rhythm guitar, 1998–2014). Their contributions helped shape the band’s sound, and these releases honor their talent and dedication.
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L-R: Karl Héroux Rella (Bass), Louis-Simon Bellerose (Lead Guitar), Frederic Marchand (Vocals), Steve DC (Drums), Guy Provencher (Rhythm Guitar)
Photo Credit: @willodoescontent
Explosive. Raw. Heavy. Unique. Relentless. These five words define the sound and the spirit of Hopeless Nation, a metal/hardcore hybrid forged in the fires of punk rebellion and refined through decades of evolution.
Formed in 1998 by a group of friends drawn to the urgency of bands like Ten Foot Pole and Strung Out, Hopeless Nation quickly carved out a name in Quebec’s underground scene. As their musical tastes grew darker and heavier, so did their sound, absorbing the aggression of All Out War, ZAO, and Madball, and later the technical ferocity of Gojira, Lamb of God, and Darkest Hour. The result: a signature blend of hardcore grit and modern metal precision, delivered with unfiltered emotion and pit-ready intensity.
Their 2009 album Built from Scratch marked a high point in their early career, backed by over 200 shows and shared stages with heavyweights like 100 Demons, Bane, With Honor, Lofofora, and Despised Icon. Known for their sweat-drenched, no-backing-tracks live shows, Hopeless Nation became a staple at venues like Montreal’s Foufounes Électriques and Trois-Rivières Metalfest.
After a hiatus, the band returns in 2025 with renewed fire and a sharpened edge set to unleash a series of singles that are a sonic gut-punch, layered, immediate, and aggressive, yet open enough for clean vocals and hooks that stick. The singles are mixed and mastered by Francis Perron (Voïvod) at RadicArt, and they bridge the band’s hardcore roots with a modern metal sheen, setting the tone for an upcoming EP.
Hopeless Nation’s writing process is collaborative and deliberate. Lead guitarist Louis-Simon Bellerose crafts the riffs, while drummer Steve DC, bassist Karl, and rhythm guitarist Guy Provencher (also of Strigampire, Wacken Metal Battle Canada winners) bring the groove. Vocalist Frédéric pens lyrics that cut deep—tackling themes of inequality, privilege, personal struggle, and societal decay with honesty and urgency.
With over two decades of evolution behind them, Hopeless Nation stands as a testament to the enduring power of heavy music. Their sound has matured, but their mission remains the same: to move bodies, challenge minds, and leave everything on the stage.
Discography:
2026 – Disaster – Single
2025 – Silverspoon – Single
2009 – Built from Scratch – Album
2004 – Our Mistakes – EP (Galy Records)
2002 – World of Hate – Album
2025 – Mini-Tour, with The Almighty Trigger Happy, Québec, Trois-Rivières, Montréal, QC
2025 – Super Sugoi Tour, with Within Destruction – Montréal, QC
2024 – Trois-Rivières Metalfest, with Feels Like Home – Trois-Rivières, QC
2012 – Maquisart, with Despised Icon – Trois-Rivières, QC
2009 – Bloodfest, with 100 Demons, Toronto, ON
2009 – Bloodfest, with 100 Demons, Montréal, QC
Shared Stage with:
Despised Icon
Within Destruction
100 Demons
Unearth
Bane
With Honor
Kalmah
Lofofora
L’Esprit Du Clan
A Perfect Murder
Insurrection
Burning The Oppressor
Mass Murder Messiah
A Death For Every Sin
Buried Inside
Spelldown
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